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Sister Charleen Bloom to Leave Enduring Legacy after 42-Year Teaching Career at The College of Saint Rose

by Kathryn Caggianelli, Troy (NY) Record, April 29, 2012

ALBANY — When Charleen Bloom enrolled at the College of Saint Rose in 1951 she had many of the same interests as other students her age. She was serious about her studies but she also liked to go to parties, go out on dates and go dancing. A religious calling was the furthest thing from her mind.

However that all changed when a college outing with other students brought her face-to-face with the work of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and it touched her so deeply that she began to question the path her life was taking.

“We went to an (orphanage) and when I saw the way the Sisters were caring for those children -- the way they interacted with them – I loved what I saw,” she said.

The seeds for what would later become her vocation were seemingly planted at very young age. Her mother lost her own mother when she was only two years old, Bloom said.

And that naturally influenced Bloom’s upbringing, instilling within her compassion and understanding of the needs of motherless children.

So, after deep reflection, she surprised her friends, classmates, and in some ways, even herself, when she decided to become a nun.

Bloom took her vows and became a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet 57 years ago,

Now, after teaching 42 years at the College of Saint Rose, “Sister Char” as she’s affectionately known by students, faculty and staff, is preparing to step down. Her last day at Saint Rose is May 14.

“That’s the day our grades are due for the semester,” said the ever-practical Bloom recently from her office in the Thelma P. Lally School of Education.

In many ways, Bloom has been a trailblazer at Saint Rose. She holds a, a master’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, as well as a doctorate in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. continued in The Troy Record